Punctuating Bulleted Lists

If a bullet item is a complete sentence in itself (i.e., it doesn’t complete a sentence begun by the introductory text), it ends with a period. If one bullet item is a complete sentence, then all of the bullet items should be (i.e., sentences and non-sentences shouldn’t be mixed within one bulleted list). For example:

 Students should adhere to several guidelines.

·    Always use 1-inch margins.

·    Use bold and italicized text sparingly.

·    Run the spell check before sending out the document.

If an entire bullet list forms a complete sentence together with the introductory text, AND if it contains items that have internal commas, the bullet items are separated by semicolons. The last item, which completes the sentence, ends in a period. For example:

Students should be careful to:

·    Apply rules of grammar, mechanics, and punctuation;

·    Check their spelling; and

·    Present their work in an attractive format.

If an entire bullet list forms a complete sentence together with the introductory text, BUT the items do not contain internal commas, the bullet items are separated by commas. The last item, which completes the sentence, ends in a period. For example:

Before the test, students should:

·    Sharpen their pencils,

·    Straighten their books, and

·    Make sure to write their names on their papers.

Filed under: Bulleted Lists

Bulleted Lists

The following example has several problems.

The following steps will be taken to address the homelessness problem:

• Implement the proposed three-tiered strategy to end homelessness.
• Provide all homeless people with health care.
• Reporting instances of homeless abuse to the police.
• Alcoholism and drug addiction.

When working with bulleted lists, the basic idea is that all of the items should be structured similarly. In this case: a) the first bullet is a broader idea than the others, b) the verb tense is different in the third bullet than it was in the first two bullets, c) there is no verb in the fourth bullet, d) the third and fourth bullets are not sentences, but are punctuated as if they are, and e) the last bullet is much less specific than the others.

Correction:

The City will implement a three-tiered strategy to address homelessness, with particular emphasis placed on:

• Providing all homeless people with health care,
• Taking steps to ensure that instances of homeless abuse are reported to the police, and
• Addressing alcoholism and drug addiction in the homeless population.

Filed under: Bulleted Lists, Lisa's Pet Peeves, Parallelism, Sentence Structure